Venturing To Empok Nor Part II
Posted on Mon Dec 16th, 2024 @ 12:58am by Lieutenant Narin Valen & Lieutenant Mignon Mejia
Edited on on Tue Dec 17th, 2024 @ 10:49pm
2,015 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Various - Promenade - Empok Nor
Timeline: MD001 1200 hrs
"Mexican food? It smells heavenly." She looked up at Narin, her eyes sparkling. "If it's as good as it smells, it'll be perfect."
“It does smell amazing, doesn’t it.” Narin remarked, taking in the aroma as they approached the entrance. He hoped that the flavors would live up to the promise of the aroma. As they reached the entrance, he gestured for her to go in first and followed closely behind.
The restaurant was busy, but they lucked out as a table had just been vacated. A waitress quickly cleaned it up and led them over. She handed them menus and stepped away, giving them time to look over the menu. The menu was decent size. It included classics like rice and beans, chips, and salsa, a variety of tacos and burritos, as well as a smaller selection of more elaborate dishes.
He glanced up from the menu. “This is better than I expected.”
Mignon had also been looking over the menu. At his words she grinned. "It's what I hoped. Now the hard part will be to choose something."
But when the waitress came back to their table, she ordered a chicken chimichanga with rice and beans and a Terran soda called Sangria Señorial.
Everything on the menu looked tempting, and as Mignon placed her order, Narin quickly decided on their street tacos. He picked beef, pork, and chicken tacos, wanting to sample the variety of flavors. He also ordered a Sangria Señorial soda to complete his meal.
“I hope you are enjoying yourself.” Narin said with a smile.
"I am." Mignon smiled back. "So far we've found good books and good food. And I get to share them with good company. Thank you for asking me to join you. I really am having a good time."
“Thanks for saying yes. For a moment, I thought you might choose painting or practicing music over exploring the station.” Narin said with a teasing grin.
Her smile turned playful. "I can do those any time. I don't often get a charming companion who likes to explore, so I have to make the most of those opportunities."
“It’s wise to take advantage of those opportunities.” Narin smiled. “I’ll continue to do my best to live up to the honor of being chosen over painting and music.”
That made her laugh. "Now I want to paint you with music. I'm just not sure how to do that yet. But I'll think of something."
The waitress came then and set their drinks in front of them. Then she put a bowl of salsa and another of tortilla chips in the center of the table. "Your food will be out shortly."
"I’d be curious to see what you come up with," Narin said, intrigued but slightly puzzled by the idea. He reached for a tortilla chip, he dipped it into the salsa, and took a bit. He nodded in approval. "This is delicious."
Mignon dipped a chip and chewed for a moment. "This is good." She took another bite before responding. "I'll have to think on it. I'm not into surrealism, but I do like whimsy."
Narin smiled, dipping another chip into the salsa. "Whimsy sounds like a good fit."
She considered him a moment, although she already agreed with him. "Yes. I'm not sure if I want to include dragons or something more elusive." And how that could combine with music. She'd have to make some sketches and see what took her fancy.
“I’m glad it’s you taking on this task. If it were me, I’d never be able to decide,” Narin said before eating another chip. After a moment, he added, “Speaking of dragons, I’m almost finished with The Hobbit.”
"Great! I've finished the first book in the trilogy and have started on the second. You're right. So far, I love it." It was only because Mignon had plenty of free time right now for reading. But she wasn't going to complain about it.
“Oh, already? You’re a fast reader,” Narin said with a smile.
Just then, the waitress arrived with their plates of food, setting them down in front of them with a polite nod. “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” she said before hurrying off to fetch their sodas.
"Thank you," Marisa said to the waitress.
When she left, she turned to Narin. "I've had a lot of free time recently. There's not a need for an archaeologist right now, and we're on shore leave,. So, I've been reading." She shrugged and turned to her meal. After the first bite, she smiled. "I will definitely come back here."
“Looks like you’ve been using your free time well.” Narin said, glancing at the food on their table. “I’ve been trying to read before bed, though sleep hasn’t come easy these past few nights. “He took a bite of his food. “Mmm, this is excellent.” Taking another bite, he added with a smile, “Definitely worth a return visit.”
She nodded in agreement. The food was excellent. "The nightmares? I wish there was something I could do to help with that." She'd gone through her own bout of nightmares and knew how difficult it could be to fall asleep.
“Thank you. Hopefully, that’s the last of them,” Narin said, taking a few more bites of his food. Not wanting to focus on the nightmares, he asked. “Have you finished your painting of the Hobbit house yet?”
"I have. I'm giving it time to dry completely and then I'll add a clear coat to protect it." She gave him a mischievous smile. "You'll be next."
Her playful smile and comment about him being next made him chuckle. “I suddenly feel that I should be concerned,” he said teasingly.
Mignon couldn't help laughing. "Wait until you see the painting first. Then you can be concerned."
Narin grinned. “Fair enough. I’d be fine with elf ears, but if you turn me into a hobbit, I might have to start worrying.”
"No. No hobbit." She cocked her head to one side. "Maybe a djinn or some sort of wind creature." Then she smiled. "I really don't know. But it will have to include music in some way."
“A djinn or a wind creature? I think. I can live with that. Just don’t give me pointy shoes. But maybe you can include a flute?" He smiled back at her.
"Yes, I can definitely include a flute." She was going to enjoy this painting. "What setting do you prefer? Mountains? Ocean? Desert? Woods?"
He thought for a moment, considering her question. “Woods, I think. There’s something peaceful about being surrounded by trees. What about you? What would you pick for yourself?"
She couldn't help smiling. "I like trees, too. Woods just feel better, if you know what I mean."
Narin nodded. “I get that. There’s something calming about being surrounded by trees, like the world slows down just a little.”
She nodded. "And that we're far too rushed. They seem to say slow down, feel the sunshine, listen to the birds, and remember that we will be here long after you are gone." Then she gave him a self-deprecating smile. "Although if one of them actually said that to me, I'd probably head straight to the counselor to find out why the trees are talking."
"If trees ever start dishing out life advice, I bet they’d have some ancient wisdom to offer" Narin said, pushing his plate toward the center of the table to signal he was done. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "Though, between us, they might outshine the counselor. Just let’s not tell Vura I said that." He sat back with a smile.
Mignon pushed her plate back and put her head on the table, giggling. "I won't say a word. Promise." She'd stopped giggling by the time she sat up, but she still had to wipe tears from her eyes. "I've been seeing her on a regular basis since...you know. Nothing against her, but I would love some tree therapy." She understood what he meant, but couldn't bring herself to say so in a public place.
“I’ve been making myself see a counselor too. Unresolved family trauma,” Narin admitted. It wasn’t something he usually shared, but he was making an effort to work through the pain of losing his parents and brother. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear his sister’s voice encouraging him to be open.
He looked at Mignon. “Shall we walk? That meal was great, but now I feel like I need to move.”
"Yes. I feel that way, too. I'm glad I'm not stationed here or I'd be eating on the promenade every day." And, while she liked the arboretum, there wasn't much for an anthropologist to do on the station.
"It would be hard to resist," Narin agreed as they stepped out of the restaurant. "Stations definitely have their advantages, but I can see how it might get a bit dull if your expertise isn’t constantly needed. At least on the Pioneer, there’s always the possibility of encountering something new. Keeps things interesting."
"Mostly." There were the drawbacks to exploration, like running afoul of a Romulan experiment, or whatever those entities were that briefly inhabited the captain and Commander McGowen. But even those didn't last long. "There is definitely variety. Especially in science."
Narin fell silent for a moment, reflecting on his words and considering her experiences. “I’m sorry.” he said finally. “That might have come across as insensitive, and that wasn’t my intention. I apologize.”
She put a hand on his arm. "No. You have nothing to apologize for. It's only natural that my thoughts go there--at least for now. I'm getting better, and that won't happen if I avoid anything that reminds me of what I did." She cocked her head to one side. "If that even makes sense? I was drugged into doing something I couldn't stop myself from doing. The others did a lot better and I don't even know why. But it happened, and I'm dealing with it. So, it's going to come up from time to time. Eventually, I'll stop thinking about it." For now, though, she just kept reminding herself she was in a much better place than she'd been a month ago.
Narin listened, nodding as she spoke. “That makes perfect sense.” he said. “These things take time, and you’re taking the right steps by working through it with the counselor. It’s not easy, but it’s the right path.”
Mignon nodded. There were still days she wished she'd progress faster and days she just wanted to stay in her quarters. But today, she was going to stop thinking about it and enjoy a walk. "Is there anything else you want to see on the station today?"
They had been wandering around the station for a while, and Narin felt it was time to head back to the ship. “No, I think I’m ready to head back. Unless there’s something else you’d like to explore?”
"No. I've had fun, but I'm ready to head back to the ship." She smiled. It had been a good day, but she wasn't one to spend all day shopping--or wandering around the promenade.
Narin nodded, and guided them back to the ship.
It had been a good day, but there was something about being home again on the Pioneer.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Narin Valen
Assistant Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Mignon Mejia
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist, USS Pioneer
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